In order to decode data streams which use RLL coding, that is to say run-length-limited coding, it is necessary to recover the 1/T frequency from the data stream, where T is the period of one channel bit. Such data streams occur, inter alia, when playing back data stored on storage media. Examples of such storage media are hard disks or optical storage media (CD: Compact Disc; DVD: Digital Versatile Disc, etc.). In addition, data streams of this type also occur in wired and wireless data transmission.
In accordance with the prior art, the 1/T clock is recovered by checking the longest and shortest symbol lengths permitted in the data stream and also infringements of the run-length limitation. This approach has the disadvantage that only the symbols at the upper and lower limits of RLL coding are used to recover the 1/T clock. This results in a longer locking time of a phase-locked loop (PLL) which is used to recover the 1/T clock.